The great affairs of the country lie in sacrifice and military affairs.
Autumn sacrifices symbolize harvest, and are also the time when princes offer the year's harvest to their ancestors. Whenever autumn festivals come, it is a lively time for every city-state.
There is not only the excitement of nobles exchanging cups and cups, worshiping ancestors and gods, but also the "liveliness" of slaves and captives wailing miserably.
This year's autumn sacrifice is not the first in the first year of Emperor Xin's reign, but it is the most lively one.
The Yin Shang Dynasty experienced a cold winter and many battles to suppress rebellions. This year's bumper harvest made the people of Dashang breathe a sigh of relief. It also gave the king, who had been stumbling for most of the year, a rare feeling of elation. He could finally be less anxious. As we live our daily lives, we have to listen to the Prime Minister talking about benevolent government and benevolent government in our ears every day, which makes our ears tired.
At this time, the busiest person in Chaoge City was Si Tianjian. Du Yuanxian was so busy that he couldn't even touch his feet. He had been accepting tributes from all the princes on behalf of the royal court.
In the royal court at this moment, all the ministers of the great merchants were rushing to the palace for a rare court meeting.
"Doctor Feilian, with the recent situation, I feel like something is wrong with the king!"
Fei Lian, who was walking on the palace avenue at the moment, turned his head and looked sideways while listening to the questions around him. He saw that it was You Cang, who was also a senior doctor with him.
"Do you have any advice, Doctor You?"
You Cang turned his head and looked around, then leaned forward to whisper to Fei Lian, but unexpectedly, Fei Lian stopped and distanced himself: "Is there anything that cannot be said in public?"
"Oh, my Doctor Feilian, why are you hiding from me? There is certainly something important to do."
You Cang grabbed Fei Lian's sleeve, but did not come closer to his ear. He just lowered his voice and said, "Doctor Fei Lian, don't you feel that the king has been slacking off in the past few days?"
"Recently, many of your ministers have been complaining, saying that the approval of important matters they have submitted to you has been slow, and many reports such as the collection of corvees and the increase of tribute from the princes have been shelved. Of course I know that this is the benevolent policy advocated by the Prime Minister, but this There should not only be kindness in the royal court, but also the authority of the emperor, what do you think, Doctor Feilian?"
Fei Lian silently looked at You Cang, an old minister who followed Emperor Yi to the throne. The traces of time have turned a man who once drove a chariot for Emperor Yi into an old man with gray hair on his temples. Fei Lian still wondered to himself, It turns out that when the late Emperor Yi was in power, these radicals such as You Cang didn't show much prominence. But less than a year after the new king ascended the throne, why were these people so eager to compete for credit?
Without corvee labor, many political affairs would be difficult to implement. For example, it would be difficult to spare manpower to build the canals of Chaoge City, the palaces of many royal courts, the repair of city walls, and the reinforcement of river embankments.
But today, the natural disaster has just passed, and Beihai and Dongyi are in the process of being pacified. Fei Lian doesn't understand. Even if he wants to achieve great political achievements, can't he wait until the war subsides before doing it? Do you have to conscript a large number of corvees into some projects that have lasted for many years in one or two years to pursue merit?
"Doctor You Cang, why do you have to say these things to me, a person in charge of the internal affairs of the royal court? Haven't you already mentioned this to many ministers? What? It's not enough to have them, you have to take me with you. superior?"
Seeing Fei Lian about to leave, You Cang was a little angry, but his face remained enthusiastic: "Since Dr. Fei Lian doesn't like to hear this, Cang won't say anything, so as not to taint your ears and attract people's disgust."
"There's just something else that I need Dr. Feilian's help with. I have a son-in-law named Youhun. As you know, Dr. Feilian, I have never had a son in my life. I have two daughters. Among them, my younger son-in-law, Youhun, is quite talented. , you have been working as an internal service officer with me for a year, which is really a waste of your talents."
"You Cang is bold and recommends his son-in-law You Hun to be the king's servant. I hope Dr. Feilian will agree."
Fei Lian was in charge of the internal affairs of the Wang Ting, and he was responsible for the appointment and supervision of the internal officials of the Wang Ting. You Cang had no choice. He was in charge of the internal affairs of Dachang, and it was difficult for an official like the Minister of Personnel to interfere in the affairs of the Wang Ting. I just thought that my son-in-law is very perceptive and very profound in his words. He is harmonious at home and can get along well with his colleagues in the ministerial office.
You Cang likes him very much. This person is capable of great things. If he can enter the palace and always be by the king's side, how much better would he be if he didn't become an official? Otherwise, he wouldn't be so humble to Fei Lian, who is at the same level.
Now that the king has been in power for more than half a year, the appointments and dismissals inside and outside the royal court have been basically finalized. Only the official positions of the two chamberlains are closely watched by countless ministers. Who can be closer than three points to the king, whether he will be in charge of the government in the future, Or just listen to the king's voice, you can gain a lot.
Looking at You Cang with a flattering smile on his face, Fei Lian was a little disdainful. He was naturally different from these internal ministers. He was the "general manager" of the royal family, and the internal ministers had no control over his court.
Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly heard You Cang's voice: "I heard that Dr. Fei Lian's son came here evilly. He bravely won the three armies, and now he is still a small guard in front of the king. Alas, it is a pity for a talented person. You Cang is not talented, but I hope What does Dr. Fei Lian think of recommending Xilai as a general in front of the palace?"
"..."
"Remember You Hun's name for the time being. After tomorrow, Doctor You will ask him to come to the king and let me see him first before talking about it!"
"Thank you, Doctor Feilian."
After a conversation, the two people quickly separated, each of them stopped talking and followed the ministers silently into the royal court.
Now that Emperor Xin is sitting on the throne, he is much calmer than when he first ascended the throne. He adheres to the idea of talking less and listening more and not being scolded. His whole person is a bit more majestic, but his eyes are as sharp as an eagle. Guang, when he keeps staring at someone, he will still show his murderous aura.
The meeting begins.
Di Xin looked at the ministers in the palace and felt a little tired. In the past, he was mostly in the military formation. He thought that the complicated military affairs were the most troublesome thing in the world. But every time he sat on the throne of the royal court, he felt a little tired. He felt that his time in the army was the most relaxing and enjoyable time for him.
"Doctor Du Yuanxian."
"Your Majesty is here!"
Di Xin's voice became a little deeper, like a tiger roaring, not angry but confident.
"Please tell all the ministers about the tributes paid by the princes to the court!"
"promise!"
This matter has always been part of the rules before the autumn festival. Du Yuanxian asked people to carry a large box of bamboo slips and began to sing praises.
"Jiang Huanchu, the Marquis of Dongbo, presented three thousand human sacrifices, six chiefs of the Dongyi tribes, four hundred soldiers and captives, and two white jade and glazed lamps..."
"Jichang, the Marquis of Xibo, presented three thousand human sacrifices, four descendants of the Quanrong royal family, eight hundred captives of elite soldiers and cavalry, and thirty Kunlun mountain medicinal plants..."
"The Marquis of Bei Bo worshiped the Marquis Hu, and presented two thousand human sacrifices, and also presented Tao Ping, the second son of the Marquis of Binzhou, three hundred prisoners of Binzhou Jia soldiers, and a hundred horses of Tufang's national horses..."
Hearing this, all the ministers talked about it, and Emperor Xin also frowned. There are standards for the number of human sacrifices. The princes from the four directions are the most, and the other princes, uncles, men, Wei, and Bangbo each have different numbers. According to the facts Pay tribute.
"Doctor Du, what is the number of human sacrifices for Chonghou Hu? What does Tao Ping, the son of Binzhouhou, mean?" Prime Minister Bigan stepped out to interrupt the roll call.
The Marquis of Binzhou is one of the Four Marquises of Northern Xinjiang, and has always been the main preparation country for the war against the Rong, Yi, Guifang and Yiqu. Chonghou Hu went to suppress the rebellion of the three sons, so why did he capture other people's sons as high-level human sacrifices?
"Prime Minister, both humans and animals were captives and slaves in Binzhou. Tao Ping refused to accept discipline. After Chonghou's mediation, he went to war with his younger brother to compete for the throne. Chonghou then returned to annihilate him."
"Alas, the autumn of Northern Xinjiang is full of troubles! Marquis Tao is a loyal and brave minister of my great merchant, who has fought against foreigners for generations. How can this generation be so ignorant?"
The Prime Minister was able to say this, but the other ministers did not dare to respond, especially when they saw Di Xin's angry look.
Di Xin stopped, suppressing the annoyance in his heart, and motioned to Du Yuanxian to continue reading.
"E Chongyu, the Marquis of Nanbo, presented two thousand human sacrifices, three chiefs of the Shanyi tribe, five hundred elite Yi tribesmen, and thirty Shenyin trees..."
"..."
Then came the tributes from the major princes, which were read from morning to noon, but Emperor Xin and the ministers were not tired at all. The words in these lines are full of fresh life, and they are also the majesty of the great merchants.
All the princes submitted to the great merchants, and the new king ascended the throne. Even though there was a snowstorm last year, the princes' respect for the great merchants did not diminish at all. Emperor Xin was very satisfied, and most of his ministers were also very satisfied.
Only the prime minister, who had always been kind, looked sad. It seemed that only he and Shang Rong, who was in charge of etiquette, still felt pity for these human beings and slaves. This was somewhat out of tune with most people.
But fortunately, everyone is used to it. If he is not kind, then he is not Bi Gan.
"Mengchang, the guard of Gu City, presented a thousand human sacrifices as a gift. In addition, he presented two uncles from Mocheng and Dacheng in Beihai. He also presented several strange beasts and one of each of the lucky ones, and a hundred fish were left behind."
"A thousand sacrifices? Who is he? How come I have never heard of him? The Guards of Jiu City? How can a little guard sacrifice a thousand sacrifices?"
The ministers were in an uproar, obviously a little unbelievable. If the marquis or even the earl presented such a gift, they would not be so surprised. Lord Wei, how can a country in one city be so rich?
Di Xin also asked with great interest: "I remember him. The last time General Kong Xuan returned to Chaoge, he specifically asked for credit for this person. I also gave him the title of a powerful general. Doctor Du, but this time people?"
Du Yuanxian pursed his dry lips and replied in a low voice: "Your Majesty, it is this person. In addition to the reward from Your Majesty, Marquis Chong also gave him an unusual promotion and gave him the city of Guo in the Outer Beihai Sea."
"Then the population of the princes of Beihai has been greatly reduced, isn't it? How can he, a small guard, gather a thousand people and sacrifices?"
"Reporting to your Majesty, these thousand human sacrifices were all bought by Meng Guwei from merchants. They were all captured by the defeated troops of various Yi tribes. They come from all over the world. However, I took the initiative to check the source. The recipients are from Northern Xinjiang. Merchant Lu Jia, this Guo City Guard is also quite interesting. The strange beasts killed on the front line are exchanged for money by Lu Jia, so he has the money to buy human sacrifices."
Di Xin was obviously more interested, his eyes were shining, and he asked hurriedly: "How can strange beasts make money like this?"
After hearing this, Bigan's heart skipped a beat, and he secretly thought something was wrong. He hurriedly went out and explained: "Your Majesty, I heard that the Grand Master is still fighting in the Beihai. Although there is something magical about the food eaten by strange animals, most of the daily expenses of the army are still high." Relying on Chao Ge to send thousands of miles away, the Grand Master once mentioned in his reply that although exotic beasts are expensive, they are far less than the cost of a large army to conquer them. Attacking them is expensive but beneficial, so this is not something you can do, Your Majesty!"
Since Emperor Xin came to the throne, he has been diligent in political affairs, but he has always had a special liking for the imperial commander's personal expedition. Bi Gan warned the king more than once to recuperate and recuperate before suppressing Emperor Xin's enthusiasm. At this time, if The power of this strange beast has tempted the king, and I am afraid he will start a war again.
Seeing that his little thoughts were exposed by Bigan, Di Xin was not interested and asked casually: "Then how much profit did he make? How much money was spent on human animals?"
"According to Xing Shang, Meng Guwei has made a total profit of three thousand gold since he went to Yancheng. Not only did he use all of it when buying human animals, he also owes Xing Shang one thousand gold, which he will pay back slowly in the future."
"Oh? This guy is really interesting, hahahaha! It seems that Gu is right. He is a loyal and hard-working person."
"Have you ever heard that Meng Chang has extraordinary courage? Haha, that's fine. With our kind Prime Minister Bigan here, I'm afraid I won't have the chance to fight again in the future. Where's the evil?"
Under the king's palace, a strong man with a shape like a hill and a height of seven feet and six inches immediately came out to accept the promise.
"Go and get the cast-iron halberd that Gu used when he was staying under the Grand Master's tent. Give it to Doctor Du and give it back to the guards of Gu City. This can be regarded as a token of his loyalty. In addition, Doctor Shang Rong should inform all the people in the four frontiers about this matter. country, so that people can know how to be a good foreign minister who is loyal to the great merchants."
"promise!"
With Di Xin and other ministers in a good mood, Du Yuanxian continued to sing the rest of the list of gifts. However, after the terrifying list of Jiu City Guards appeared in front of him, the gifts of other Wei Lords and Bang Bo seemed to have become It tastes like chewing wax.
It wasn't until Du Yuanxian finished singing his promise that Di Xin asked with a smile: "Doctor Du, are there any disobedient people this time?"
Du Yuanxian thought for a while, hesitated a little, then gritted his teeth and replied after thinking for a while.
"Your Majesty, except for Beihai, which is in chaos, Jizhou Hou Suhu has never paid tribute!"
"Huh? Why does Su Hu pay tribute in the future?"
"This... Su Quanyi, the son of Su Hu, died suddenly outside Chaoge City yesterday. According to reports from passers-by and merchants, Su Quanyi muttered something before his death."
"Emperor Xin has no virtue, and the way of heaven is clear. Jizhou Suhu will never go to Shang Dynasty."
With a loud "Bang!", a thick wooden table was kicked by Di Xin for more than ten feet like a piece of paper and flew out of the gate of the royal palace. The ministers tried to avoid it, fearing that it would fall on them.
"Hahaha, what a Su Hu, what a Jizhou, but I have no virtue? I get up to review the report every day before the rooster crows, and the moon is still busy in political affairs. I have no virtue?"
"Nai Weng's Su Hu, where is Huang Feihu? Call me the king's army. I want to lead the expedition myself. Ask him whether the whole Su Hu clan and my warriors from the Shang Dynasty can stop his Jizhou army!"
The ministers were shocked. Just as they were about to step forward to admonish, they suddenly heard a message coming from outside the palace.
"Your Majesty, Jizhou Hou Suhu encountered a natural disaster on his way to pay tribute. He specially sent his son Su Quanxiao to pay tribute to the court as a pledge to re-offer the tribute needed by the great dynasty!"
"If it is a natural disaster, it is excusable. Your Majesty, please calm down!"
Di Xin was even more upset. It seemed that he could only sit on this throne. He couldn't go anywhere, couldn't dance the halberd, and couldn't get into the battle formation.
It's time to find some new interests and hobbies, otherwise it will really kill you if you continue to hold them in.
Thanks to the author of "The Battle of Luoyin and the Song of Crossing the Gods": Midwinter Frost Moon Wangsunren, who worked all night to provide the map of the seventy-two princes in Beihai, thank you! ! !
(End of chapter)
